VVC 08 Premiere Vid: Tanglewood Tree

[charmax]

Video Title: Tanglewood Tree
Song Title/Artist: Tanglewood Tree - Chris & Meredith Thompson
Show: Fingersmith
Summary: Forbidden fruit, tangled webs and betrayal.
Length/Format: 4.00, (Xvid, Stream)


Notes:
Premiered (non-attending) at Vividcon 08. Beta comments from foomatic, bradcpu & astartexx. Many thanks!

Fingersmith has a complex narrative structure that proved quite difficult to get across. All the ways I thought of to convey a dual POV (split screens, rewinds, colour coding) just didn’t sit well with the period setting. As a result I think the details of the plot are probably not going to be clear to anyone not familiar with the source. Hopefully the general themes of longing and betrayal are strong enough to make the vid accessible.

Music. I love the tone and imagery of Tanglewood Tree and finding a version of it with two female vocals gave me exactly what I wanted. The key scene with the carriage at the asylum at the point where the vocals split was my jumping off point and in effect splits the vid into two distinct parts which I hope I managed to convey visually.

Narrative. A tale of three metaphors!
The cards: Used by Gentleman as a device for explaining the plan but most closely associated with Susan. The meaning of the 2 of hearts is fairly apparent (hopefully.) It’s probably also helpful to remember that the jack used to be referred to as the knave which makes it much more appropriate for Gentleman. The cards are used to tell a story to Susan but she herself uses them to lie to Maud. The card is as much a symbol of deception as it is devotion. In picking it up Maud takes on the role of deceiver (though that’s not really clear until later.)

The gloves and the hand: Associated with Maud and symbolic of her constrained life. Crossing the line metaphorically by stepping over the line physically. Noticeable that when Susan has the glove it is her turn to be confined.

The windows: Gentleman is never who he appears to be. Although he is the first character to appear in the vid his face is revealed last and when it is, it is through a window. The glass may appear transparent but is slightly distorted and that is very much true of gentleman. This device is repeated several times. It also represents the separation of male and female worlds with both women seen looking out at a larger world.

Effects and colouring: I added some external motion to improve the flow and to add emphasis. Transitions are all just good old reliable cross fades. I did some relighting in after effects, mostly to enhance what was already there and in a couple of instances to direct attention. The second half of the video has a grittier grainier feel as befit’s the subject matter. Also I added some fog to the street scenes. I know it’s a cliché but Victorian London should be foggy dammit.


Tanglewood Tree

love is a tanglewood tree in a bower of green
in a forest at dawn
fair while the mockingbird sings, but she soon lifts her wings
and the music is gone
young lovers in the tall grass with their hearts open wide
when the red summer poppies bloom
but love is a trackless domain and the rumour of rain in the late afternoon

love is an odour that creeps through the meadows of sleep
when the long shadows cast
thin as a vagrant young vine, it encircles and twines
and it holds the heart fast
catches dreamers in the wildwood with the stars in their eyes
and the moon in their tousled hair
but love is a light in the sky, and an unspoken lie
and a half-whispered prayer

I'm walkin' down a bone-dry river but the cool mirage runs through
I'm bankin' on the fables of the far, far better things we do
I'm waitin' for the day of reck'nin countin' down the hours
I burn away, I yearn away, I turn away the fairest flower of love, 'cause love . . .

love is a garden of thorns, and a crow in the corn
and the brake growing wild
cold when the summer is spent in the jade heart's lament
for the faith of a child

love's garden of thorns, how it grows
black crow in the corn hummin' low
brake nettle so pretty and wild
and thistles surround the edge of the
dim dark hour as the sun burns away
lamenting a lost summer day
who nurtures the faith of a child
when nothing remains to cover her eyes?

my body has a number, and my face has a name
and each day looks the same to me
each hour the light unfolding
this longing is a voice on the wind
she cultivates the wages of sin
in a tanglewood tree


Links: Download Xvid (720x400 - 50MB) | Download Xvid (480x272 - 25MB) | Stream@Imeem | Stream@Youtube

Tanglewood Tree from Charmax on Vimeo.

Password: iheartvidz

Feedback loved.

Comments

[giandujakiss.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the movie (or read the book) but I thought that was incredibly powerful. I'm sure I'm not getting all the nuances, but the storyline definitely came across and drew me in.

[fahrbotdrusilla]

Simply lovely. The song fits the storyline so well and the editing is perfect.

[m-phoenix.livejournal.com]

That was wonderful. I loved Fingersmith, first the book and then the adaptation, and you really did the story justice here. The themes of betrayal were deeply unsettling for me, and in your version they still are, but the music carried me through -- perfect song choice. I'm feeling all tingly. Think I need to go and watch that again.

and a half-whispered prayer

[kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com]

Wow. I love the follow through of motion. There's tension built up with the music and the editing.

[bradcpu.livejournal.com]

I'd definitely say this was one of the two or three biggest hits of non-attending. It actually *closed the show*!

[millylicious.livejournal.com]

That was great, definitely one of my favorites of the vidshow. I thought it actually had the best narrative of all and I could really follow the story you were telling without actually knowing anything about the source (always the sign of a strong vid). I'll leave you more comments once I've had the time to see it again :D

[balistik94.livejournal.com]

I was really moved by this vid. I'm impressed by your storytelling and your ability to convey emotion. Very deep and powerful.

[oxoniensis.livejournal.com]

I didn't know anything about the book/show before watching the vid (I've read a recap on wikipedia since then), so the way the story shone through was impressive. Beautiful work.

[ralst.livejournal.com]

That really captured the emotion and complexity of the source material. A beautiful piece of editing.

And on an unrelated note, I love your mood graphic.

[idealuk.livejournal.com]

This is the perfect video for a superb film based off of a great book. Other than that, I have no words; I am speechless.

[boom-queen.livejournal.com]

What a fabulous vid!

I absolutely adore Fingersmith, and I'm really impressed at how well you depicted a coherent visual narrative (for those who haven't seen it) while still providing plenty of delightful meta/insights on the tangled relationships and unraveling mystery of the story. Gorgeous editing as usual too :)

Yay!

[uselessmarks.livejournal.com]

I thought that was f*cking awesome.

[aycheb.livejournal.com]

This was heartbreaking even without knowing the source although now I feel as if I do. Loved the way the symbolic elements, the cards and the gloves, felt as if they held all the secrets of the first part but were crumpled and crushed and emptied of power when it had stopped being a game. That last bright image of dancing girl just a memory, is so poignant at the end.

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

I loved this to bits, and I thought it would be a perfect closing vid for the show. I've read the book but not watched the series, and I really want to do that now. :-)

[demeter94.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the movie, but both movie and book have been recced to me, and now I'm even more curious than before. Powerful song that has me addicted now, great editing that fits with the lyrics perfectly.

[http://users.livejournal.com/__butterflies__/]

I love both the book and the series. In fact, the book is my favorite book of all times.

The video is really interesting. It's really busy, so I'm going to have to watch it a few more times. I loved the cards metaphors.

[untrue-accounts.livejournal.com]

Will have a more coherent comment later, but wanted to let you know how much I liked this. I was startled when the music began because this isn't the version of the song I was expected -- your vids often do this to me, and I am always persuaded by your *version* choices, not just your song choices, they are always so right! This was lovely and striking.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

I was reading The Night Watch on the plane, but I don't know Fingersmith, and now I need to find it, read it, watch it. This vid drew me in and just kept on pulling -- the story was so clearly told and so devastating as it unfolded. Your vid broke my heart, is what I am oh-so-incoherently saying. (: I can't wait to watch it again.

[jhava.livejournal.com]

This is a beautiful vid. Talk about a vid that encourages viewers to find out more about the mini-series without giving too much away! Through your careful editing you've hinted at enough to intrigue many viewers. Thank you!

[foomatic.livejournal.com]

Yay! I love how lyrical this is, and the way you used the cards as symbolism. But I think I already told you that? Heh. Great vid, as always, and it's good to know that people were able to follow it!

[lilithlee.livejournal.com]

Ok, I read this once, but didn't review becouse I like that to understand this I at least had to watch the movie. So, I after finding it on youtube and watching it. I loved it, I loved all the twist and turns, it was great. Also wanted to say what a powerful piece and it just awesome.

[eleveninches.livejournal.com]

I really liked this. I've never seen the movie, but I've read the book, and it looks like you did an excellent job at showing the relationship between... uh... the two characters whose names I forget.

[dodificus.livejournal.com]

I really want to re-watch the miniseries now:) This was beautiful and tragic and captured everything I loved about the books and movie.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I really loved this vid--on first watch, and I'm sure I'll get more out of it on further subsequent watchings. It makes me really want to watch the source. I want to know if I got the plot right or not!

I'm fascinated by the card imagery. And also by the way the women appear to swap positions so often in the imagery. Around the 1:30 mark, it built up this feeling for me of them being tied together in an ever-changing but continual pattern.

And what an amazing song this is--it seems perfect for the subject matter. As you say, that moment where the vocals overlap and then split is so powerful. The asylum footage is so disturbing.

[luzula]

Wow, I loved this (although I'm probably influenced by the music, which is just to my taste). I can't say I understood all of the story, but it was intriguing, and now I feel like watching the show.